The director of the Art Gallery of NSW has promised modifications to the gallery's expansion plan after two thirds of public submissions to Planning NSW criticised the new design.

More trees and more open space will be included as part of the planned $344 million "Sydney Modern" wing, said director Michael Brand.

Mr Brand has also promised to clad the facade of the new buildings in a natural stone to complement the Sydney sandstone of the existing 1909 Walter Liberty Vernon gallery building, and make the new wing less conspicuous.

The modern wing - a series of pavilions to be built on the hill to the north east of the existing gallery and opposite the Botanical Gardens - will also be setback farther from the road, and the roof of a new grand entry plaza has been rotated to appease critics.

These modifications addressed concerns raised by nearly 200 people and organisations who opposed the expansion in submissions to NSW Planning. Nearly all attacked the loss of open green space - opposite the Botanical Gardens - in the city as something that could not be reversed.

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Critics included local residents' groups, lawyer and former chief justice of the Family Court Elizabeth Evatt, actor Bruce Spence of Mad Max and Stork fame, and barrister Richard Cobden. Many former Art Gallery Society members including its former executive director Judith White opposed the project. But Ms White admitted on her website Culture Heist that she was "pained to say" the current gallery society backed the development.

About two thirds of the 291 submissions made by members of the public, government agencies and organisations raised serious concerns about aspects of the new wing designed by Japanese architects SANAA.

"The current design has missed significant urban design opportunities to place the gallery within its context and connect to the city through the Domain, and to Woolloomooloo and the harbour's edge," said the City of Sydney.

The design of the new wing, with its own entrance in competition to the existing one on the existing Vernon building, created a "confusing arrangement for visitors at arrival", it said.

In a letter to stakeholders, Mr Brand said the gallery received 70 submissions of support. They recognised the need for more space to display its "extraordinary art collection with the public" and host "more of the world’s and Australia’s best art exhibitions in NSW".

The gallery's revised proposal promised to convert parking spaces in front of the gallery to open space; creating more green roof space and creating a central public lawn in a proposed Art Garden.

Critics claimed the gallery was converting public space into private space - something one group said could never be reversed - and setting a precedent. But the gallery's response stressed the site of the expansion (to the north east of the Botanical Gardens and over the top of some world war two oil tanks) had been endorsed by the AGNSW and the Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust (RBG&DT) because it was predominantly over "built structures".

In a submission, the Eastwood Evening Garden Club said a meeting of its 100 members had decided to oppose the expansion because of the destruction of trees and open space. At at time of global warming, green areas needed to be protected without "adding to our increasing 'cement city'," it said.

The gallery promised to reduce the number of trees to be removed from 141 to 124 , and plant 273 new trees including more mature trees.

The Art Gallery of NSW has made a range of changes to its development proposal for Sydney Modern to address public concerns. Credit:Art Gallery of NSW

The Office of Environment and Heritage raised concerns about the impact of the removal of these trees on the roosting habits of threatened and vulnerable species, including southern myotis. But the gallery said its assessment showed it was unlikely to have a significant impact.